Our former Patron, the Right Honourable Helen Clark (then Prime Minister of New Zealand) signed the Ypres Agreement between the Flemish and New Zealand governments in October 2007. That agreement resolved that both nations would cooperate in “…increasing broad community recognition…educating younger generations…honouring the war dead…preserving heritage material…and encouraging tourism to commemorative and historical sites in Flanders and New Zealand.”

The Ypres Agreement inspired the Passchendaele Memorial Museum to create a travelling exhibition in 2009 entitled “Passchendaele: The Belgians Have Not Forgotten”.

This exhibition was sent, free of charge, to New Zealand where it visited Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Featherston and the National Army Museum in Waiouru before finishing its journey in Auckland. The wonderfully successful exhibition was staged at Fort Takapuna and attracted more than 10,000 visitors. 5,000 white crosses were erected on the old parade ground. As the exhibition progressed, those crosses became decorated by family members with photographs and details of those who had fallen. The anonymous crosses turned into personalised remembrance symbols.

Radio New Zealand covered the exhibition with a radio interview with Lode Notredame and Iain Mackenzie, founding members of the Passchendaele Society. To hear the click here and learn more about the New Zealanders’ involvement in the Battle of Passchendaele.

The success of this exhibition in turn inspired a dedicated group of enthusiasts to form the Passchendaele Society 94 years after the epic battle took place – 12 October 1917 – hence the name of the Society. The battle became New Zealand’s worst ever military disaster, with 846 young New Zealanders killed in just one day. The Society’s aim is to ensure that all New Zealanders are aware of the role played by New Zealand at the Western Front and in particular at Passchendaele, Belgium.